Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1887-11-11
TALMAGE'S SERMON,
The Weekly Discourse of the Great
Brooklyn Preacher.
Subject: "ssefendiHg Young
Mem"

=, TRxT; "And the Lord opened the eyes of
the young man" I'll. Kings vi, II.
One morning In Dothan a young theologi-
cal student was scared by finding himself and
Elisha, the prophet upon whom he waited,
surrounded by whole army OF enemies But
venerable Elisha was not scared at all, be-
cause lie saw the mountains full of defense
1or him in chariots made out of fire, wheels
OF IRE, dashboard Of fire and cushions OF fire
drawn by horses with nostrils of fire. and
names OF fire, and launches Of fire, and hoofs
OF hTe-a supernatural appearance that could
not be seen with the natural eve. So the old
minister prayed that the young minister
might see them also and the pray er was an
swered, and the Lord opened the eyes of the
young man aud he also saw the fiery process
son, looking somewhat, | suppose, like the
Adtrondacks or the Aleghanles in this au.
tumnal reaplendence
Many young men, sanding among the
most tremendous realities, have their ewes
half shut or entirely c.osed. May God grant
that my sermon may open wide your eycsto
tiny.
A mighty defense for young man is
sood nome. Some OF my hearers look back
with tender satisfaction TO their early home
IL may have been rude and rustic, hidden
among Inc hills, AMI architect or III holsterer
naVer planned or adorned it. But all the
tresco on princely walls never looked so en-
ticlnS to you as those rough hewn rafters
You can think OF no park or arbor of trees
planted On fashionable country seat so at
tractlve as the plain brook that ran in front
81 the old farmhouses and sang under
the weeping willows. No barred gateway,
adorned with statue of bronze, and swung
open by obsequious porter in full dress, has
half the glory of the swing gate. Many Of
you nave second dwelling place, your
adopted home, that also is sacred forever.
I'm elsNl lIutzf TTNs
your chlldIen were born. All those trees YOU
planted. That room is solemn, because once
IN IT, over the hot pillow, tapped the wing
OF death. Under that loof you expect when
your work Is done to lie down and die. You
try with many words to tell the cxcellency
OF the place, but you fail. There is only one
word In the language that can describe your
meaning. 1t is home.
NOW, declare that young man Is COM
parGtlVely safe who goes out into tie world
with charm ike this upon him The mem
ory OF parental sol icitude watching. plan
ming and praying, viii be to him q Shield and
a shelter. never knew 4 man faithful both
TO his early "nd adopted home, who at the
same time was given over to any gross form
OF patton or wicke lnass. He who seeks
his enjoyment chiefly from outside associa-
ton, rather than fioru the more quiet and
unpleSamng pleasures Of which | have
spoken, may be suspecte to lie on the broad
road to ruin. Absalom desDised his fathers
mouse, and you know his history of sin and
ms 1eath OF Shame. Ii you seem unneces-
sarlIy Isolated from your kindred and former
associates, is there not some room that Won
can call your owni Into it gather books and
pictures and harp. Have portrait over
the mantel Make ungodly mirth stand back
from the threshold. Consecrate some spot
with the Knee OF prayer. By the memory of
oIneT Gays, latRers counsel and mothers
c IN s7g j
announcer defense for young man is indus
trlous habit. Many young men, in starting
upon NE IN ms age, expect to make their
way through the world by the use OF their
wits rather than tie toll Of their hands. A
enid now goes to the city and fails twice be-
lore he Is as oil as his father was when he
first saw the spires of the great town, Sit
tihg IN some Office rented at $1,000 year,
he Is waiting for the bank to declare its vdivi
dend or goes into the market expecting b.
lore night to be made rich by the rushing m
OF Tue stockS. But luck seame so dull he re-
solved on some other tack Perhaps he bor-
rows from his employers money drawer.
and forgets TO put it back or for merely the
purpose OF improving his penmRnship makes
a copy plate OF merchants Signature, Never
mind, all Is right III trade. In some dark
hgnt there may come in his dreams n vision
OF BlackWelps Island, or Of Sing Sing but
u soon VanlSheS. In a short tune he will
De ready to retire from the busy world.
ana amid his fiocks and herds culture the
u0ineSuc virtues: Then those young man
VINO once were his schoolmatss, and knew no
better than to engage in honest work. win
come with tleir OK teams to draw him lops
ana with their hard hands help heave up his
castie. ms is no fancy picture Its every.
day life. should not wonder il there wcre
some rotten beams i'll thlt beautiful palace.
should not wonder if dire sickness 8 shou d
snll19 sng, through the young man, or II God
snould pour into his cup OF life a drouTht,
that would thrill him with unbearable ap03v,
should not wonder If his children should
become to him q living curse, making his
nome pest and disgrace. | should NOT
WONDER II ne goes to miserable grave. and
beyond II into the gnashing OF teeth. Ths
way OF the ungoily shall perish.
MY young friends, there Is no wav to penr.
Inc success except through toll either OF the
hean or hand. AT the battle Of Crecy in
l345 the Plince of Wales. fndinp hnsalf
heavily pressed by tho enemy. sent word to
ms father for help. Tho father, WATCHING
tne battle from windmill AMI seeing thai
ms son was not wounded and could gain the
day II he would, sent word; mo. I will NOT
come. Let the boy win his sDurs. for If
E9d VIII, desire that this day be his with
an lts honors." Young man, fight your own
ta'Iie all through and you shall have tire
victory. Oh, It Is battle worth fighting.
Two monarchs of old fought duel Charles
V. and Francis, and the stakes were king
doms-Mian and Burgundy You fight with
sin and the stakes are heaven and hell.
DO not get the fatal idea that you are a
genius and that therefore there is no need
OF close application. 1t is here where multi
tudes faiL The great curse OF this age is the
genluses, men with enormous self conceit and
egotism, and nothing else. | had rather be
an OK than an eagle; plain, and plodding, aud
useful, rather than high flying and good for
nothlng but to pick out the eyes of carcasses.
extraordinary capacity without use is extra
ordinary failure. There is no hope for that
person who begins his life resolved to live by
his wits, for the probability is he has not
any. 1t was not safe for Adam, even in his
unfaIlen state, to have nothing to do,
and. therefore, God commanded him
to be farmer and horticulturist.
He was to dress the garden and
keep 1t, and had he and his wife obeved the
diVlne injunction and feea at work, they
would not have been sauntaring under the
trees and hungering after that fruit which
destroyed them and their poSterity proof
| positive for all ages to come that those who
90 not attend TO their business are sure TO get
into mischief. | do not know that the prod
lgal In Scripture would ever have been re-
claimed had he not given up his idle habits
and gone TO feeding swine for a living 60
TO the ant thou sluggard: consider her ways
and be wise, which, having no overseer or
guide, provideth her food in the summer and
gathereth her meat in the harvest" Tho
devil does not so often attack the man who
is busy with the pen. and the book. and the
trowel, and the saw, and the hammer. He
Is afraid Of those weapons. But woe to that
man whom this roaring lion meets with his
hands in his pockets. Do not demand
that your toll always be elegant, and
cleanly and refined. There is a certain
amount of drudgery through which we must
all pass, whatever be our occupation
| Again, profound respect for the Sabbath
VIII be to the young man powerful preserv-
ative against evil. God has thrust into the